FOREST JUNCTION The Keller family's collection of more than 525 vintage tractors, consisting mainly of the John Deere and Minneapolis-Moline brand lines, which is seldom open for general public viewing, will, however, be the featured attraction for a fund-raising project on the first weekend of October. To help the Chilton-based New Hope Center's Endowment Trust Fund reach an intended goal of $500,000,Walter Keller, his son Bruce and other family members will have their six sheds full of tractors, one lean-to building, and some outdoor units on public display from 8:3o a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8. Walter Keller last opened his private collection for major public events in 1995 and 1998. In the meantime, he told the Wisconsin State Farmer that he has hosted a number of bus tours with visitors mainly from England, Belgium, Germany, Ireland and New Zealand. Keller's collection, which has been assembled over many years from all around the country since the early 1970s, contains 54 first-built units of a particular model, a handful of the lastbuilt units from a model line, six experimental tractors and two that were the only ones made for that model. One of the many treasured units is a John Deere 4o Standard that was owned from 1953 to 1982 by Charles D. Wiman, a grandson of John Deere. It was brought to Calumet County from Santa Barbara, Calif. Among the other special interest units in the collection are the first John Deere 83o diesel made in 1958,the first general purpose BW from the production line on Feb. 21, 1935, that went to an original buyer at South Bay, Fla., and the first John Deere B, BW, 53o LP and 62o LP models. With six buildings to cover to see the entire exhibit, visitors are advised to plan on at least two hours to complete the circuit. The tractors are identified with cards but Walter and Bruce Keller will be on hand to talk to visitors and answer questions about any particular unit. Walter Keller, who is a board member of New Hope's Endowment Trust Fund, agreed to hold the early October event to help raise a portion of the approximately $150,000 the organization would like to add to its fund,according to New Hope Center director Dan Witt. Previous earnings from the endowment fund, which was established in 1986, have been used to purchase computers, vehicles and assembly and packing equipment for the center's workshop. The new goal for the fund is to enable the organization to pay for all of its equipment and building needs with the interest earned on the endowment, Witt explains. The New Hope Center serves area developmentally and physically disabled residents in various ways, including contracts with area businesses for assembly and packaging of their products. A sale of baked goods supplied by parents, other relatives and friends of the New Hope participants and of hot apple cider and hot dogs will accompany the tractor exhibit. The admission fee is $10 for everyone age 6 and up. The Kellers' tractor collection is housed along County Trunk HR just east of State Highway 32/57 in northern Calumet County. It is 1.5 miles south of Forest Junction, which is at the intersection of U.S. Highways 10 and State 32/57.
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